Health-conscious Americans have
been watching their salt and fat intake for years, but a not-for-profit
environmental research organization says pesticide residue on fruits and
vegetables is just as dangerous.

A report released this week listing the produce that is consistently
contaminated aims to help shoppers make better choices.

According to Environmental Working Group, a Washington research
organization, people can lower their pesticide exposure by 90 percent by
avoiding the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the
least contaminated instead.

Peaches and strawberries scored highest on a list of combined data for
fruit, while celery and spinach topped the list of vegetables.

Released on the one-year anniversary of the national organic standards
program, the report said organic produce offers the best alternative to
pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables.

The report looked at 46 popular fruits and vegetables and based its findings
on over 100,000 tests for pesticides conducted from 1992-2001 by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

The six measures of contamination used were:

* percent of the samples tested with detectable pesticides;

* percent of the samples with two or more pesticides;

* average number of pesticides found on a sample;

* average amount (level in parts per million) of all pesticides found;

* maximum number of pesticides found on a single sample;

* number of pesticides found on the commodity in total.

According to the report, "The more that scientists learn about the toxicity
of pesticides, the more questions are raised about the potential toxic
effects on people."

Though all of the detected chemicals are allowed by government regulators,
studies on their effects on humans are inconclusive.

"Absence of knowledge is not proof of safety. Further, it's important to
remember that the government said that highly toxic pesticides like DDT,
chlordane, dursban and others were safe right up to the day the EPA banned
them," the report said.

The effects of toxic pesticides on children's growing bodies have long been
debated, and a 1996 law, the Food Quality Protection Act, provides special
protections for infants and children.

Children who eat mostly organic produce have far lower levels of pesticide
byproducts in their bodies, according to a 2002 University of Washington
study.

This week's Environmental Working Group report was compiled to help shoppers
determine what fruits and vegetables have the higher levels of pesticide
residue, and like nutritional information on the side of packaged foods,
help them make informed decisions.

Though it went on to stress the importance of fresh produce in every diet,
consumers are advised to buy the food on the least-contaminated list if
organic is unavailable.

"This list is a useful tool when consumers are looking to minimize their
intake of pesticide residues," said Barbara Haumann of the Organic Trade
Association in Greenfield, Mass. "If it is not possible to go all organic,
then this information can help (people) make informed choices."

More organic products are introduced into the marketplace every year. Demand
grew 20 percent or more annually through the 1990s, according to a February
2003 USDA Economic Research Service study. The new federal standards ensure
that any food marked organic meets stringent requirements.

Consistent with previous studies, fruits topped the list, with eight of the
12 spots.

Washing fruits and vegetables is recommended, but washing does not change
the ranking of the most toxic foods. The chemicals are taken up internally
into the plant and fruit, and cannot be washed off, according to the report.

Detailed information on the report, and a shopper's guide are available at
www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php [1]